The present invention refers to a ribbon cable with optical waveguides in which at least two light waveguides extend parallel to each other and are embedded, spaced from each other, in a ribbon-shaped support material (European Patent No. 0 091 717).
Optical waveguides (hereinafter referred to as LWG) are complete structures of glass fibers which are suitable without additional processing for the transmission of light waves. Such optical waveguides serve in communications engineering as a replacement for the metal wires customary up to now. They have various advantages over metal wires. Optical waveguides have a very broad band characteristic and are low in attenuation. They are readily flexible and are of small diameter. Furthermore, external electrical or magnetic interference fields do not affect them.
For the use of the optical waveguides for transmission purposes in communications engineering they are arranged in optical waveguide cables in which they are arranged protected against mechanical damage. The optical waveguides can be introduced into a cable core as individual structure or else as several combined.
One possibility for combining the optical waveguides before they are worked into a light waveguide cable can be noted from the aforementioned European Patent No. 0 091 717. The light waveguides are combined therein in the form of ribbon cables which consists of a ribbon-shaped support in which a plurality of channels are arranged extending parallel to each other. The light waveguides lie loose within the channels, into which they are inserted after the support has been produced. At least one such ribbon cable is arranged in the core of a cable which has a protective jacket. This results as a whole in expensive manufacture with a large number of operating steps. This is true, in particular, also of the manufacture of the ribbon cable itself for which there must first of all be produced the support provided with channels into which the optical waveguides are then pushed at great expense.